eKathimerini — The Education Ministry has launched a campaign to encourage children across the country to return their books to school so they can be recycled or reused.
According to a recent study by the Diofantos Institute for Computer Technology and Press, some 28 million books are distributed every year to middle- and high-school students.
It is also estimated that it takes 10,000 tons of paper to produce these textbooks, at a cost of 19 million euros despite efforts to reduce spending, which stood at 36 million in 2011.
According to the study, if students returned just 10 percent of their books, this could result in 2 million euros in savings or revenues from recycling.
While in Greece there is no mechanism for returning school books at the moment, in other countries that issue free school books, like France and Germany, students are required to keep their books in good condition and return them at the end of the year or be charged the cost of replacing the book. It is estimated that on average a school book can last four years before it is replaced.
